Christmas Days around the Cottage

Life has been very busy this past week, we have had a wonderful Christmas with all of our family & have made many memories.

This was the scene out of one of the side windows on Boxing Day night, it was a lovely surprise to the twins once they woke in the morning.

 Boxing Day is called so as in years gone by the church left boxes out during the approach to Christmas to be filled. The contents of which were distributed to the poor on the 26th of December ~ Boxing Day.

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George keeping warm.

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Making Mince Pies.

I make the same recipe every year, my Mother's.

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The topping is whisked egg white sprinkled with sugar.

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All ready for my Grandmother Betty's tin, every year they get placed in her tin.

I feel with many of her things around me she is with us, the twins never met her but they feel like they knew her & they are always talking about her.

 They would have had such fun together.

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The twins & Sidney decorating some Christmas biscuits.

I use a Empire biscuit recipe for all my cutter biscuits now which I will share with you soon.

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All finished, Mary is not a sweetie lover so we did some with just icing.

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Starting the cranberry sauce for our Christmas dinner.

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The Christmas cake ready to be cut.

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My husband gave me my first Tasha Tudor Christmas card.

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Getting ready for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve.

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Christmas Morning.

Yes he came.

Harry & Kate wanted to see the little one's opening their gifts in their stockings. They were so good & waited until 8 0'clock especially considering Mary woke at 5.

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The younger one's opening their stockings.

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All the children opening their gifts from us, I love to sit back & watch their faces.

Mary was so happy to receive this book from us as before Christmas we watched the Tasha Tudor Christmas dvd together & she said we do not have that book do we.

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Christmas Day lunch.

A bit of a squeeze but we all got in.

This year I decided to use the kitchen table for the food with limited table space in the hall, it all worked wonderfully & it mean't that you could go back for second's or third's.

I was so happy to see everyone enjoying their food.

For those who wanted to know what was inside the crackers this year I did jewel hair clips, lip balms & hot chocolate sachets.

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 Early morning on the 27th with a light snow fall.

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Standing opposite our cottage.

The road looks so peaceful.

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We are back to a more slower pace once more with the animals as I write sleeping in front of the hearth.

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My sweet husband gave me this beautiful Victorian copper mold for Christmas.

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Enjoying a lovely game of Snakes & Ladders.

Kitty has not taken her flower headband off since she received it for Christmas for her dressing up box.

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We had a very special Christmas one I will treasure.

Thank you all my dear readers for all your kind comments & support during my first year of blogging. I have really enjoyed sharing a small part of our daily lives.

May I wish you all a happy & healthy new year.

Fondly Michelle

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